The violin making manual

1 Forewordand &materialsAntonio Stradivari The Messiah1716 TemplatesMould & &scrollAssemblyVarnishingSetupTuning1 234567891011 Measure- mentsThe violin making Vojt ch Blahout, v. 2016 WWWF orumStradivari Messiah !The purpose of this guide is to give basic information about violin making . The aspiring violin maker willhave the opportunity to build an instrument from start to finish with the help of step by step tutorialsaccompanied by drawn images. To make the best of the electronic format, all the images are in vector graphic format SVG, drawn toexact real world dimensions. At every step of you building experience you can print out the plans anddrawings and use them in direct comparison with what you have at hand.

2 The SVG graphic format issupported by most modern browsers and editable by the free Inkscape. My goal was to create a site that would give starting points to those interested in violin making . Thework is by no means complete. There is always room for improvement and I encourage anyone who feelthey might be able to contribute to do so, either by commenting on the pages, or sending theircontributions to me at All additions will be duly credited. Together, we can make this site a rich, structured information source on violin your stay,Vojtech BlahoutPS: You can now download the whole site as a PDF, see the link "PDF" on the front page. Frequently ask ed questionsQ> I have a question/I don't understand what you mean by XY.

3 Where do I get an answer?A> If your question or a comment is about a section of the manual , please feel free to post a commenton the appropriate page or register in the forum and ask your question there. I will try to get back toyou as soon as possible. Or you can always contact me by email I want to edit or add to the content on the website, where is the registration?A> Due to massive spam attacks, I was forced to close down this option. Please send me an email andI'll set up an account for you. Commenting, at the bottom of every page, is available withoutregistration, at least for > I want to use the images on this site in my own project, > By all means, use whatever you need, but please consider linking back here or using any othersuitable way to acknowledge the source.

4 You can edit the images in >I see no images on the right side of the > If you are having problems viewing the images, click to see whether yourbrowser is supported. With some browsers, ie. Internet Explorer 6-8 there is the option to install theAdobe SVG plugin tocorrectly render the > I use Internet Explorer and some of the images have wrong aspect >Please, if you can, use Chrome or Firefox to view the site. I haven't found a reliable method todisplay the SVG images across all browsers. The SVG rendering will hopefully get in line with otherbrowsers in the next release of the browser. Clicking on the image will display the correct full sizeversion even in Internet > I'm not sure my printer is precise enough to print the > Please click on this Test file and print it out on your printer.

5 Check that the ruler matches yours. If itdoesn't you need to find a way to scale the output, usually in the printer's settings, so that the printoutpasses the comparison - ForewordTools - Tools and gravity wallInner wallPegbox floorNeck end wallNutCenter ridgeFirst turnSecond turnFinal turnPeg headCollarShaftBee stingCornerFingerboardTop blockEnd buttonUpper wingNotchLower wingLower eyeBass barTipUpper eyeOverhangPurflingTipStemStemCorner blockBottom blockSaddleTop plateVolutePegboxUpperboutsBodyC boutsLowerboutsNeckScrollSound postBridge positionF holeButtonTailpieceShoulderBass sideTreble side2 Peg holeNutPegbox wallDuck tailNapeThroatChinFingerboardNeckHeelBut tonBack plateCornerRibsPegbox floorNeck end wallVolute end wallEyeFirst turnSecond turnFinal turnCommaChamferVolutePegboxUpperboutsBo dyC boutsLowerboutsNeckScrollEnd

6 ButtonC ribsTailpieceTailgutBridgeStringsNeck rootCategory: Tools and materialsHome - Tools and materials - sharpening any instrument, there are two important aspects. You want the edge to beas keen as possible and you also want it to be the ideal shape. The sharpening of any tool takes generally two steps: Shaping and/or nick removal andHoning. TerminologySee Fig. 1 for the basic bevel up tool geometry. Bevel up tools include chisels, gouges andblock planes. "a" - Primary bevel angle, "b" - Cutting angle, "c" - Secondary bevel /microbevel/, "d" - Back bevel. See Fig. 2 for the basic bevel down tool geometry. Bevel down tools include smoothing andjointer planes. "a" - Bevel angle, "b" - Cutting angle. 1. Initial shaping or nick removalIn this step you decide the angle of the bevel.

7 You also remove any nicks and irregularitiesmaking the shape of the tip equipment you needIf you want the bare bones setup, get a bench dual water stone 1000/4000. It shouldmeasure at least 20 x 6 cm. Or even cheaper is a 600 grit sandpaper mounted on a block you want to go electric, for large mass removals, wet grinders are the best. There is noneed to fear for overheating, but they are rather slow. Sides of the wheel can be used for flatsurfaces. Cheap ones use vitrified stones which are less efficient but degrade more slowly. When you use your normal dry grinder, overheating is a great risk. When that happens, thecarbon in the steel combines with oxygen leaving you with just soft iron, plus you anneal thetip making it soft.

8 The whole length where this occurs should always be removed. Also,quenching tips in water during dry grinding leads to tearing. The tip should be in contact withthe coolant at all times, so don't use dry grinders unless you really know what you're you must use a cheap dry grinder, at least change the wheel for something like Norton38A80 and buy a separate tool rest. If glazing occurs, which can happen when you grindbrass or with cheap grinders a diamond wheel dresser should be used to restore the wheel. Itcan also be used to remove any humps on the sanders can on many occasions be used instead of bench shape and the bevel depend on the metal used but also on the use of the instrument. Japanese instruments are usually harder 62RC allowing for a keener edge, so a bevel ofhigher 45 angle is needed to prevent breaking.

9 With western blades which are a bit softer,and less prone to chipping, the bevel angle can be less, say 25 . Cutting the denser sorts of wood requires blunter bevel angles, whereas softer woods allowfor more sharply beveled tips. Ideally, the sharpest bevel should be employed which makesthe tip still strong enough to withstand the pressure of the HoningDuring honing you make the bevels smooth as a mirror. Then you create the micro bevel, making the tip as sharp as equipment you needThe cheapest tools would be strops, leather or even better wooden. Cut a groove in asoftwood, maybe basswood, apply chromium oxide compound and you have a perfectlyshaped strop for honing. The same for the inner side. In seconds, you can make a woodenstrop that fits perfectly the shape of your chisels and plane irons, if you can, buy a honing guide.

10 It will help you make the bevelsaccurate and lead to consistent micro bevels. An electrified alternative is the use of shaped felt wheels, which are ideal for honing theinside of gouges. They are a great substitute for the fine bench stones. The to of the wheelshould rotate away from you. Belt sanders are great for honing with leather bevelsMicro bevels save time, tools and energy. The finest possible edge in the shortest time. If youneed fine angular control, use a honing guide. Only takes half a dozen tools specificsChisels1. If new, remove the Lap the face so that the edge is not jagged. Make sure the stone is Fix the nicked chisels on your bench stone or wet chisel should always be at the lowest bevel angle consistent with edge retention.